Do your really deserver your M-Dot?

I didn't renew my subscription because that wasn't priority .... oops!

My guess is they are just expounding on all the letters to the editor that came after that one tool said that unless you qualified and did Kona you are not an Ironman.

I'm beginning to think that Triathlete magazine is to the average triathlete what Muscle and Fitness is to the average guy who hits the gym.  A bit too over the top with commercialism and too much focus on the elites of the sport.  But that's just me...

Yeah, I thought the same thing...but that article about Vu does not even mention M-dot.  Is Triathlete magazine now equating M-dot with Ironman?  Isn't the 70.3 series also part of the M-Dot trademark?

~Mike

Yeah it is, but if anyone has an M-Dot tatooed on themself, what is the first question someone else asks ......

"What Ironman did you do?"

It's all about the brand ..........

Well that's ok.  Years ago when I told someone I'd done the Rocketman Triathlon (a local sprint) people would often say "Oh yeah, I saw that on TV...I don't know how anyone can do that....isn't that in Hawaii?"  :-)

 ~Mike

LOL..similar story 

My kids soccer coach who has done triathlons back 15 years ago knew I was training for a HIM. He asked me frequently about my training and finally after my HIM he wanted to know how it went. He then asked if I qualified for Kona. I tried really hard to suppress my amusement as it was a dinky HIM, and I am so not ever going to qualify for Kona, but thought it was cool that he held my abilities in such high regards. I did tell him I placed 2nd not the part there were only 2 of us I skipped that.

Annoying magazine tricks...I do like that many magazines now have a special index section that guides you to everything listed on the cover. Seems this magazine needs to add that feature. 

regarding the original letter in Triathlete Mag: ....with all the hype and traction that received I can't help but wonder if the letter was "staged" to sell more magazines.....

I searched the NA Sports results and couldn't find Vu (?).  I believe the letter suggested that writer did IMWC.  Anyone else do the same?

Agreed.
Will this topic ever get old?  I believe it will.....eventually.  I think that years from now 'talk' about triathlon will be so common place that the M-dot symbol will be synonymous with the sport irregardless of the distance.  M-dot clothing, M-dot tattoos, etc.

I'm starting to see more and more people with M-Dot tattoos who have gone the 70.3 distance.   Same goes for Indie 140.6 races.  If someone goes the distance, irregardless if it's Kona or Oklahoma City.....it's the distance that is the bragging point.   And soon, I believe, the M-dot will not represent any particular distance of triathlon.

I just love the quote from PNF at her speech in Florida.

She was talking about how many of the businesses stay open longer through the season because of the race and "Besides, why would all the tatoo parlours want to close when there are over 1,100 first timers at the race!"

The whole place was crackin' up over that one .......

And so is the WTC and NA Sports when they get free advertising every time someone gets a trademark tatoo'ed on their skin.

I always found the M-dot tattoo to be a little curious because it is a brand logo.  How many other logos are out there that someone would be willing to put on their body?  The only other one I can think of is perhaps a Harley Davidson biker dude getting the logo as a tat, and even that is probably a bit rare in comparison.

Anyway, if someone wants it on their body, it's their right.  Ironman or not (even though it might be a little weird, but whatever).  I read the original letter, and it's kind of funny to me that some guy is getting upset enough over the issue to declare others not worthy.  Especially since the current Kona venue is not the same as the original venue (not to mention the fact that the logo didn't even exist at the time of the first iron-distance race).

But you care if they wear an IM watch?  

I could care less as well.

But ........ let me ask everyone this?  How often do you see a runner with a Nike swish or a Mizuno kangaroo thingy?  Or even better, the Boston Athletic Association unicorn (which is a really cool logo)??

Now, how often do you see a triathlete with an M-Dot logo?

Still a "brand," still a trademark, just people have bought into the coolness of getting the logo branded on themselves.

Have I thought about it?  Yes, but not as a solo M-Dot but as a cool design incorporated into "140.6" with the logo as a small accent to the design and not the focus.  I've personally only said that I would do something like that after I completed Hawaii, so no worries about that any time soon.

Which, of course, means that you do care. I, on the other hand, could not care less.

People can do whatever they want to their own body and really shouldn't give a hoot what others think.

Asking 99% of the triathletes out there and they will tell you that if you did a 140.6 whether it was an M-Dot or an independent one that you have earned the title or Ironman.  It is that 1% of uptight elitist tri-pr1cks that keep this discussion even on the table.  And the interesting thing is that it seems a lot of those people haven't even completed an iron distance race yet.  Talk about ironic .......

The "70.3" monniker was just brought into play in '06 as a way for the WTC to cash in more on their brand and offer another world championship event for more people to participate in.  They started by rolling a lot of the bigger half iron races into the fold and then last and this year added a bunch of new venues with the brand.

For all "official" M-Dot events just go to www.ironmanlive.com

In  the January issue of Inside Triathlon, some letters to the Ed were about buying Ironman Logoed gear....

I've got a Timex Ironman watch (50 Lap).